Some years ago I posted the following photograph of this sad little grave in the Kalgoorlie Cemetery. At the time I took the photograph I had no idea of the name of the child buried there. The fact that the child’s cot had been used as a grave surround, evokes all the sadness of a family who were unable to afford a proper memorial. I have often passed by this little grave and thought how it represents all the many thousands of little ones who have died before their time in the years of high child mortality from both accidents, illness, and premature births.
Now thanks to the staff at the Kalgoorlie Cemetery, I now have the name and I have found the story to go with it!
Allan William Zadkovich – aged 5 months
Grave No 9678 Roman Catholic section, interred 13 August 1943. Little Allan was a child of the woodline, as the following article will show. His parents were Mr. and Mrs Anton and Kate Zadkovich and he had a brother, Anton Johnnie, and and an uncle Frank. The life on the woodline in 1943 would be a hard one. It is not known what the cause of death was for little Allan, it could be an accident, but more likely one of the many possibly fatal, childhood diseases.
Fate was not yet done with this little family. Kate (aged 52), Allan’s mother, was herself to die on the 1st Oct 1952 in Boulder. Kate was to join Allan at the Kalgoorlie Cemetery, but not in the same grave.
NOTE:- Should you wish to see this little grave you can walk along the pathway outside the Kalgoorlie cemetery towards Hammond Park (catholic section). Not far from the main gate and close to a large tree nearly on the boundary fence you will find it easily.
Moya Sharp
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